Oahu factory takes Antal’s idea to market

The commercial potential of a University of Hawaii researcher's method of making charcoal from green waste is "astronomical," says Michael J. Lurvey, president, chief executive officer and owner of Carbon Diversion Co.

He established the company with a plant at Campbell Industrial Park after Michael J. Antal Jr., professor in the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, built a reactor at UH to develop flash carbonization technology.

"We are more advanced because we took it to a commercial level," said Lurvey, whose company has one of three licenses to use Antal's technology for commercial purposes.

"We formed an alliance where UH is an owner in our company, and we continue to do research and development with HNEI and with the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources as well as the College of Natural Resources," he said.

"Our thing is to reduce waste streams going into the landfill, to produce power from processing and continue to advance the carbon," Lurvey said. "We make carbon and charcoal. Some of it is really good for horticulture and agriculture purposes, and we make excellent kiawe charcoal for barbecue."